A fine, fine actor, much underrated. Great as the performances of De Niro, Pesci, Sorvino, and Lorraine Bracco are, it's Liotta's performance and narrative which hold this great film together.
@@TerryDowne What..."Ray Liotta _underrated"?_ The guy was hugely respected by both the critics and fans alike. He was cast in both blockbusters and regular television shows and miniseries... and even video games?
That moment when you watch one scene from Goodfellas on youtube, then take a look at the "Suggestions" section on the right, and end up practically watching the whole film, Haha.
Robert Bermudez And to top it all of, he finished it with saying "they always seem to come at a time when you're at your weakest or in dear need of their help"
The fact that Henry changes his mind and orders food at the very end is telling. Before he knew what Jimmy was going to do, he was nervous, and had no appetite. Once he knew for sure Jimmy's intention, he could relax, and know what his choice had to be. So he decided to eat.
In real life Henry said in a documentary that Jimmy Burke ordered honeydew to eat, and that made him super nervous. Apparently Jimmy liked to eat really heavy breakfasts with ketchup and almost never ate fruit; it was out of character for him and made Henry suspicious. Plus Jimmy kept taking his glasses off at the meeting, so Henry knew Jimmy was planning something.
@@billymarino4452 reading that made me hungry, I also like to eat heavy breakfasts with ketchup. A heavy breakfast will get you through a busy day, especially if you are planning a heist or have to run a crew like James Burke.
Henry really had no choice but to turn informer/witness. He knew Jimmy was going to kill him. Paulie had already turned his back on him. Henry had no protection.
I still wouldn't rat on my friends...... thats the society we live in. I was Henry I would have just left, disappeared and been done with it. Then on the other hand they all turned their backs on him.....maybe I would have went to florida and killed the other guy....and again just left vanished in the wind. Got to cuba lol!!!
Good point. Cosa Nostra says that if you have an affair with someone's wife or girlfriend then you could die. But this is only true when an underling has an affair with someone who is higher up the chain. Henry wasn't a made guy so what is he supposed to do if Vario is screwing his wife? He can't kill him or even go to someone and say, "kill this man for breaking the rules". They wouldn't care how Henry felt because he isn't a made guy.
I love how near the end of the video he realizes Jimmy is planning to kill him and when the server comes to the table he calmly orders something. He knew this would be the last time he would ever see Jimmy but had to play the whole thing off like he was ignorant to the situation.
Yeah so true it’s easy to think these people you call brothers can trust you but at the end of the day you’re just tracks they cover to hide themselves from getting caught which in most cases they get caught even when they kill a good friend that never ratted
True... it had to be mixed feelings for Henry knowing yes this is the last time I'm going to see him because he's going to try to kill me but then again this was like my brother for 15 years and basically saying goodbye now Jimmy I don't know if he had any mixed feelings he maybe wouldn't even have whacked him if Henry didn't get into the drug business because Henry was the last one out of the Lufthansa robbery that wasn't murdered
He'll be nice and helpful. He'll get a job where he influences a great God-fearing nation. He'll never do an evil thing! He'll never deliberately hurt a living thing... he will just bit by little bit lower our standards where they are important. Just a tiny little bit. Just coax along flash over substance. Just a tiny little bit.
It's a horrible life only glamorized in moves and on television. I love The Godfather, Goodfellas and The Sopranos but people never take lessons in what happens to even the main characters in those movies. Michael ends up dying alone after watching his daughter get murdered in front of him, Jimmy and Paulie both end up dying in prison and regardless of the debate about Tony Soprano he still either is dead or going to prison.
Yet later in the movie when he's arrested by the police (who are aggressive and point a gun at him instead of being friendly and smiling) he says that he thought he was gonna get killed, until he realized they were cops.
What a brilliant detail it is to have the ambient sounds of the diner continue to play during the freeze frames. It adds so much to the chilly atmosphere of Henry’s realization.
As well as conveying that life goes on around you no matter what momentous thing is happening to you at the time. Occasionally interrogators use it on prisoners. A Czech prisoner of the Nazis, later executed, described being taken out of the jail for drives by his Gestapo interrogator, who would show him people in Prague just living their lives, and then tell him that he is in jail with a death sentence in prospect but it's all the same to these people.
"Goodfellas" is the perfect movie. Like so many of Scorsese's films about the Mafia they are HUMAN and there is none of this romanticised Hollywood dogshit. No audience friendly plots or your favourite character getting out of death. Just the cold hard nasty truth of the Mafia. The Mafia was one BIG LIE. All the talk of loyalty, family and rules while in truth? It made no difference how powerful you were or how deep your connection to someone was. If you are a threat? You were a target. And this scene proves it perfectly. After ALL the years of Jimmy treating him like a Son? There he is setting him up to be killed. That's real life. That's the evil of people. Says in a few seconds what several scenes couldn't.
@@davidaston5773 Mainly because it's a TRUE story of events. While the Godfather is a PHENOMENAL and iconic film, someone said it best, The Godfather is how the mafia wanted to be seen. Goodfellas is how they actually were. Just a bunch of evil backstabbing scumbags who would rat or kill each other if it means saving themselves, nothing more to them than that.
Jimmy needed to see Henry was relaxed & would go along with the hit. If Henry started to act nervous or refused the hit, Jimmy would think he was going to bail on him and he would order Anthony to whack him tonight. Who knows maybe Anthony was sitting somewhere in the parking lot with binoculars and was waiting on Jimmy to give him a signal by the window ("if you dont see me take off my glasses, you know what to do") to have Henry whacked as soon as he would leave the restaurant, maybe that's why Jimmy was so jumpy.
thanks. Its my own far fetched theory lol as Jimmy looks twice at the window after he put on the glasses and than after he takes them off. Even if you believe it was a bit far fetched at the very least you have to question the reason Jimmy put on the glasses when he never intended to use it reading on the document he handed Henry ( which was my initial thought as to why he suddenly put on the glasses). However he may also had farsighted vision & he wanted to carefuly study Henry's own poker face to see whether he can read Henry's thoughts and intuitions.
@Darkzz Lord it is an option if the two guys are the same rank. Both Jimmy and Henry were not made guys so technically speaking they were both on equal footing. If a captain tells a soldier/s in his crew they got to whack someone, they can't refuse. If the boss tells a captain they have to whack someone than they have the option to either whack the person themselves or send their soldiers to do it but it's got to be done.
@Darkzz Lord Jimmy still asked him "Do you have a problem taking care of it?!" Which means if there was a good excuse like "I think the "cops are tailing me" or something big than maybe he could have refused. Technically speaking in this incident however Henry couldn't refuse due to the fact Jimmy set a trap and wanted to have Henry whacked in a couple of days, but it could have hastened the process if he did refuse.
Question is, was his life really in danger or was Henry being paranoid?...It's possible Jimmy wanted to see if he would go through with the hit to see if he could be trusted
The real-life Jimmy Burke (on whom the character "Jimmy Conway" was based on) was absolute, unwavering psycho who didn't pay two seconds of thought before killing anybody, even his closest friends. But even if that wasn't the case, Mob rules are incredibly simple on that: if they feel you're a liability - if you're losing them money, causing them trouble, or is in danger of becoming a rat - you're dead, simple as that. The Mafia doesn't give second chances.
It’s essentially street smarts in a broad term/sense vs book smart or what not. You can make money being book smart but being street smart could save your life, because in a split second of a decision you could end up dead, robbed, raped or just in a “bad spot.” Common sense almost but you learn more on the street smart part by being connected or growing around it. It always however starts with common sense though. Something that seems to be going extinct just like sarcasm... smh
Most of them have a conscience and at times they didn't want to murder their friend, but they were given an order and to refuse would mean death for him, plus his friend will still get whacked by somebody else. Ugly side of the life.
Jimmy's psychology here: delighted to see Henry because he actually showed up. Henry is standoffish as he suspects the guy literally just tried to have his wife killed. Jimmy is reassuring, indicates he's read the entire case notes and is confident Henry will get off. Henry of course knows this is bullshit. Jimmy puts his glasses on to feign he's going to go over them with him but immediately brings up some inconsequential kid who needs whacked. He literally thinks making up a fictional scenario identical to Henry's where he will use Henry to resolve it will put Henry's mind at ease and convince him their relationship is business as usual even though he's asking Henry to do something he never has before in decades of friendship. You can almost see Henry smirk at Jimmy trying to sell him it. Like "Really Jimmy? Really?" Henry is smart. He doesn't miss a beat when confirming he will kill the kid so as to reassure Jimmy he's in. That look on Henry's face when he realises Jimmy's plan. It's relief. There's no uncertainty anymore. He knows now that he he has to rat as there is now no alternative. All doubts erased. All the pressure lifted. Clarity. So much so he almost immediately gets his appetite back. He can now enjoy one last meal and conversation with his oldest friend. Free of any guilt as to what he's about to do to him as otherwise that same guy would kill him. Jimmy really did screw up. Bungled the setup to murder Karen and hatched a moronic plan to get Henry that the target saw coming a mile off. I doubt Henry was ever going to keep his mouth shut. But Jimmy sure as hell helped make up his mind he wasn't.
The thing that separated Henry from the other guys that got killed: he knew he was in a band of sociopathic thieves and that there is no honor among thieves. The other guys like Morrie thought he was in a “family” or a “brotherhood” and so thought that he wouldn’t be killed. He got into the car thinking he was gonna have a jolly ole time with his bros. At the same time, what killed Tommy was him thinking that living the life in La Cosa Nostra was an anarchic, free for all. It never registered to him that honor was valued in La Cosa Nostra. That’s what got him killed. Such a fascinating flick.
It’s funny you writing honor two times and it’s can be misunderstood in some regard if you don’t get you mean there are two kinds of honor which both men don’t get.. the first as you said thought there was honor between them like a family or the best friends but don’t understand that not the case.. Tommy thought anything was legal and he shouldn’t be judged by anyone which was got him shot because there honor is in .. in judgment of your character and it’s only thing there are honor in mafia because if they can trust you and you do what is told then they can use you and that all there matters in the end.. or something like that
Tommy got whacked because him and Jimmy killed Billy Bats who was a made man with the Gambinos meaning he was untouchable while Tommy and Jimmy weren't made and once they found out they set up the hit and supposedly John Gotti was the one who killed him
The fact every scene in this film has 1+million views says a lot about it. Probably the most consistently excellent film ever made, and certainly the most rewatchable.
@@drlight6677 I agree. I notice with Casino it has gotten better with every rewatch. On that note, I think it might be more 'rewatchable' as it almost plays like a music video, with the glitz, glamour and soundtrack all being a feast for the sense. Goodfellas on the other hand is more narratively complex and darker in tone. I can't think of a film that's more rewatchable -- would enjoy suggestions for this actually! As you say though, both total masterpieces.
I always loved the irony that Henry wasn't going to rat on anyone, but when it looked like he and Karen might be killed for something he didn't or wasn't going to do, THAT'S what drove him to be an informant.
Henry would’ve ratted. Watch some interviews w the real Henry-he was a piece of shit. He said a bunch of times leaving the life is what bothered him, not ratting anybody out
He had a long prison sentence ahead of him, no money, and had burnt pretty much every bridge with Paulie. That kind of desperation will force people to do things.
@@matthewriley7826 Maybe. But if he was gonna rat anyway, why did the Feds bother tipping their hand playing the tapes for him? Obviously they thought he needed a nudge, or maybe he would only rat on other guys besides Burke. Not saying you're wrong, but it's not so simple as a bunch of YT experts claim.
The Oscars are nonsense. He will be remembered forever for this role and it has been enjoyed by people across the world ever since. That's more important than a prize.
3 years later De niro tried to make his own version of a mob movie with some kid narrating and cheesy storyline about a kid????? it's all about a kid i hated it
That’s why tommy is shooting at the screen at the end of the film. The epitome of a gangster is killing a washed up Henry for ratting. Henry knows tommy would kill him, so it’s a symbolic statement.
His ordering of the English muffin Is a superb line. Whether scripted or added on the spot. It shows he’s relaxed now knowing full well what Jimmy has planned for him and what he has to do. He can relax, breathe, and have something to eat. It’s like the murder suspect who sleeps soundly despite having been arrested for murder. There’s no longer any pressure or stress of being caught so why not relax and sleep soundly.
It is an interesting filming technique that is used more often than you notice. The actual camera is moving backwards slowly on a track, while simultaneously zooming in on the actors. To the viewer, the subjects do not move, while the scene around them closes it. It creates a disconcerting atmosphere of tension, which closely reflects Henry's feelings in the scene. Great stuff.
In a documentary I seen once with the real Henry Hill Henry said the movie had a much more toned down version of Jimmy Conway. Henry said the real Jimmy Conway was much much more ruthless. He was the type that would take you to dinner tell you how much of a great guy you were than stabb you in the back..
Dark Demonik it was more about ratings for the movie. If you go too crazy you get an X rating. An X rated movie isn’t going to make any money. So they had to dull shit down to get audiences in the theatre.
BettinaBalser Goodfellas as a whole got snubbed across the board, six nominations and only one winner. It was the year of Dances With Wolves and everyone bought into the hype since it was released after Goodfellas.
This has to be one of the greatest scenes of all time. Ray Liotta is double acting. He's acting as Henry Hill acting like an unaware fool so that Jimmy doesn't suspect that he knows he's trying to kill him
yeah they are great people Mike And Tooley been going there for years driving a truck Maurice Ave. Mr TJ Budweiser Beer No Glass. Gotta love the Clinton Diner
Ray Laoitta’s eyes in this scene are incredible. Should have gotten an academy award for this scene alone. Almost all the acting was done with their eyes in this scene. Jimmy sniffing Henry out, more for verification but he’s already decided Henry had to go. Henry’s pocker face look knowing Jimmy plans on killing him but he can’t give anything away. Jimmy the psychopath shifting gears and preparing to have Henry killed, because it’s just business at the end of the day, even though they have been close friends and associates for years and years.
Jimmy wears his reading glasses when he doesn't even look at print. Symbolism of him trying to read Henry's face, peering into his soul with those glasses.
I can’t believe ray liotta was nominated only a time at the golden globes. And not for this masterpiece. He has a brilliant career with so many excellent performances
Kevin Muller Great observation and I agree. He put the glasses on as he switched his demeanor, and asked Henry to go down to Florida. Perhaps the glasses mean "I am serious now." I.E he wants to look like he's "in business."
+pup lover Henry mentioned in the book that Jimmy started wearing glasses around this time and that he kept fidgeting with them during this meeting. There could be symbolism, but it's also keeping with DeNiro's obsession with getting all the little details right.
+Lavern Jimmy Burke suffered from Diabetes and it affected his vision. Whether there was any symbolism for the glasses or not is unsure. But he wore those spectacles at that juncture due to poor eyesight as he got older.
The film is accurate to the book in almost every detail including the glasses. A ton of the voice over is lifted wholesale from the transcripts of the actual interviews used in the book.
Bit of a silly move to be telling the guy who knows he won’t beat shit that he ain’t gotta worry about nuttin. Can understand how them bells started ringing in Henry’s mind
DeNiro's look at 1:48 scares me shitless, that's the look of Grim Reaper, pure evil personified. He's so fucking amazing in playing all those subtle elements in his acting.
+Antonio Wakardo is representation of his inner thoughts, he realized that in Florida he will be whacked, so instead to be silent he changed his mind and go for the witness protection program. It is smart because the scene is about a guys in a restaurant but the subtle show that is really about stay with the guys or not. Is all about timing and context.
calito44 aaa ok thank you for the explanation. I thought that "english muffin" was a reference to something like didn't want to do something, but I realized now that I will do it afterall. :) This movie is amazing, never watched it before, and I'm 30 years old, watched 1 month ago.
You can also read it as if he is trying to put Jimmy at ease. Trying to assure Jimmy that he is fine with the situation. That he is not so high strung and has a new found appetite. But I agree your meaning as well. In any case, I agree its a great line. Its actually one of the more memorable lines in the movie for me. Something about it that is just the perfect thing to say.
I never understood why Jimmy didn't just lure Henry/Karen into a car and Morrie them. Too elaborate, with the trip to Florida and the picking out dresses etc.
@@prod.schemeteam203 I just figured Jimmy must have known Henry was terrified of him, given that he was whacking people left and right, and would be suspicious if he were asked to 'go on a trip' somewhere. Henry was a drug dealer and addict, lots of material to work with there. Easily could have taken him and Karen out in a "home invasion" and rifle through the home like someone was looking for drugs or cash. This was pre-DNA.
+Ollie Phelan But nothing happened immediately thereafter. It was only after Batts had calmed down, was treated to a few drinks, was Yes'd to death by Jimmy Conway, that his demise was evident. Exactly how Liotta narrated it in this scene. "They comes with smiles..."
richieblondet c'mon . Are ye suggesting that the Tommy and Batts scene wasnt an argument ?. It was far more than an argument . Tommy made no attempt to hide his intent. Tommy wasnt smiling . Or maybe Jimmy demanding his money from Mori , while strangling him with a phone-wire ? ------------------- Theres a similar contradiction in CASINO. Nicky ; "He wasnt Italian .He might ve talked , otherwise Stoney might still be alive" But yet everyone who talks and informs , and cant be trusted are their fellow Italians ? [ only Movies of course.. but theres millions spent , and thousands of people involved in its production (hundreds directly) that really should notice inconsistencies or bloopers ]
+Ollie Phelan I'm not suggesting that at all. "Henry Hill" (Ray liotta) expressed something specific in this scene here above. That when a hit goes down, it's not some half crazed lunatic show that's put on in most cases. They are cold and calculated. They come with smiles and as your friends. Whether this is really true or not, isn't the point. It's what he claim in the film. You seemed to have wanted to point out a contradiction and quoted Billy Batts during a scene. The context in which Batts was murdered comes AFTER he antagonized and humiliated Tommy. Tommy exploded... but there was no retaliation. There was no exchange of words other than Tommy telling Henry to "Keep him here." In the meantime, the scene after the argument pans to a shot of Jimmy Burke shooting the breeze with Batts at the bar. Batts is seemingly calm and collected, and feels he is in no danger. For starters, his "made" status gives him this sense of protection. And the fact that he's got an old school gangster sitting beside him, who knows the life, knows all about the ways of the life and is probably assuming that if anyone were crazy enough to retaliate against him (Batts), that Burke would be the first one to step up and squash that idea. Instead, Batts is lulled into dropping his guard with a few beers and is allowed to express his sob story. All the while Burke's intention to to stall him and keep him at the bar until Tommy took his date home, probably make his way to other public places where he could be seen for the sake of an alibi, and make his way to Henry's bar. Everything "Henry" narrated in this scene is what came to pass in the murder of Batts. The contradiction to what "Henry" explained would have been Tommy gunning down Batts right then and there as soon as Batts insulted him. So it's not an inconsistency or even a blooper. It's keeping in line with what "Henry" or the script conveyed.
richieblondet Ok , I agree with everything there , but ...... If it had went down the way Tommy wanted it , there would have been no calculated cold murder . Tommy didnt come in smiling and put a silencer to his neck . They grabbed him in a headlock and kicked the shit out of him . None of the Batts scene was cold or calculated . --------------------------- If Henry was speaking in generalities thats ok . But the fact is that what he said was 99% true . Lets not romanticise the Mafia ; They werent an Army of professionals . They werent even the I R A . They were street criminals (thugs) who lived (as much as they could) by a loose code . I believe Casino gets rid of the "romanticisation" that Goodfellas has
+Ollie Phelan No one is romanticizing the Mafia, least of all me. This is a MOVIE. I'm not arguing how things truly take place on the ground. My focus is what the movie/film entails and what it conveys. The murder of Batts was COLD for the obvious reason that Batts was killed. All such violent actions that isn't sanctioned by law or self-defense is cold blooded. It was certainly CALCULATED because Tommy himself orders henry to "KEEP HIM HERE." He planned to take retribution against Batts. The manner they did so was to lull Batts into a drunken stupor, get him talking, let him air out his grievances, concerns, etc. all the while knowing that evening at the bar was intended to be his last. Again, I'm only talking about the film. Nothing else beyond that. I agree that while that scene is a testament to a certain reality, the other side of the coin is that there's a lot more brazen non-sensical violence, which the film also captured or included into the script. Tommy gunning down Spider for instance. When a simple smack would have sufficed in retaining Tommy's warped sense of honor.
It’s a survival mechanism I used it all the time, I make fun of myself, unsure of myself and people will show their true colors and what they think real quick, I listen to their to their tone of voice and the look in their eyes and how they talk to you wile they judge you disguised as “jokes” this is how i pick friends that I didn’t grow up with Or I invite them over my place to eat and drink especially and have your lady dress up just sexy enough to catch a eye and watch them from afar, then you’ll see who your friends are.
Henry is almost relieved. You get the feeling that there’s a weight lifted of his shoulders because he’s knows that despite having friends when living this life the first thing is always business and he knew that from early so he has no resentment to jimmy and therefore has no guilt for ratting
I agree ....they never did anything with Anthony ....Marty never developed him in the rest of the movie . Lol....I had to scroll down after watching the scene because I knew your Italian ass was down here with the best line !
I love how it shows henry is slowly changing over the course of the movie..for example his hair is normally slicked and parted nicely fresh cut look and his face is baby shaved and looks very well dress tie and everything...but now his hair is a bit messy u can see where his beard grows and his eyes have faraway tired glassy look from drugs and lack of sleep along with the bags under them..he wears like a dress shirt and SME slacks but the shirt is undone so on and so forth..Scorsese bless ur Italian heart
For 30 seconds, from 0:25, DeNiro and Liotta and the booth stay in the same place, but the world outside the window keeps zooming in, creating the feeling that the world is closing in on them, getting smaller, about to crush them.
So many emotions run through Henry’s eyes when he realises what’s happening. Fear, betrayal, sadness, disappointment, shock the list goes on, and he knows if he wants to survive this encounter, he can’t let ANY of them show, he has to act like he’s none the wiser even though he’s probably panicking inside
I agree but Henry’s face during the freeze frame is a dead giveaway. I understand it was prob a cue for the audience to get that Henry suspected something was up. But in real life if Henry made that face, Jimmy would 100% notice it
Scott Fowler I’m sure they do. I mean their constantly paranoid on whose gonna rat them out and who they can trust because in the end of the day. They’re all law breaking criminals and gangsters. If they can’t obey the law, no real reason why they can trust each other in world where they have to do illegal things to survive.
@James Robert Sometimes you could be on the wrong side of a takeover and youll get dealt. You could be used as an example, or you could meet someone like tommy who'll just do you just to do you. You can't win.
they do live in fear because there is no guarantee of loyalty in what is essentially a single-player game. Jimmy Burke (Conway in the movie) was always afraid someone would disappoint him and rat him out , in the end he really alienated himself from both the mob and anyone he had in his life because of his paranoia. Not being Italian/Sicilian meant he had no connections to the larger families and thus no protection from the old dons or the Commission. He was a hired goon at his best.
The same rule applies with school, corporations, your family, etc. You may not have to worry about being killed, but your "friends" may betray you or tarnish your image by sheer jealousy or sheer competition, or they simply don't like you.
The shot where the background outside looks like it’s zooming in is so crazy. They moved the physical camera back on a dolly while they zoomed in with the lens. It gives the whole scene the feeling that something is off, without their immediate surroundings changing. Scorsese is insane
Even though people thought Henry wasn't very bright when he was younger he is one of the very few who lead one of the most insane lifestyles in recent years and not only did he escape from it but actually lived a fairly decent life, absolutely incredible.
Being an outsider probably actually helped him, imo. He wasn't viewed as much as a rival. He also says he was dyslexic, but in those days, who knew? That's why he dropped out of school, from that interview/documentary. He also said his Dad used to beat him for falling in school.
The dolly zoom shot here is brilliant,as Henry said"so we could see everyone who drove up to the restaurant",then the background start approaching to the camera
Such a great use of a slow dolly zoom when they're sitting in the booth. The whole movie is from the perspective of Henry and that camera effect mimics how he's feeling. Pulled in different directions and generally uneasy. Just love those small details.
you know what i never realized? that all of Henry's years in the mob finally payed off, because he was able to realize that jimmy wanted him dead. It's like everything he learned came down to this one moment.
In Henry’s mind, there was no way of getting out of this alive without ratting. In Jimmy’s mind, he knew that as well, which means there’s no way out of this without having Henry wacked. That’s why he wanted to send Henry to Florida with Anthony. Anthony Stabile was used to doing hits. They were supposed to be sent to wack Bobby Germaine's son, but it was a cover for Stabile to wack Henry.
Goodfellas is truly phenomenal. The attention to detail in the scenes is incredible, especially this one. I feel like watching this film all over again.
Oscars for Movies, Grammy's for Songs... Opinion, Politics, Face fits, Brown Envelopes, Shawshank Redemption no Award, Empire State of Mind with Alicia Keys Only,,, No Nomination... hey it is what it is... Goodfellas in my top 10 films of all time... epic
Greatest Mob movie ever! Godfather a close second imo! Ray liota was absolutely fantastic in all his roles. Really appreciate his work, RIP! And thank you!
De Niro is so cold here. It's obvious he's no longer talking to a friend but a target.
Henry was smart enough to realize it
As soon as pauly said now I gotta turn my back that’s it because pauly was a capo in the family and was Henry’s boss
@@jfontanez1838 Paulie was a made man and there was nothing they could do about it.
It switches as soon as he puts on the business glasses
Epic acting of RD here
Henry is thinking here, " My dad was right. I should have stayed away from the cab stand"
No
I know you, jackie aprile sr was your dad
@@SifuPL yeah, thanks. Greatest golfer ever
@@JackieAprileJr sry, he was your fathaaa
@@SifuPL yeah. He was sorry too
Ray Liotta did an outstanding performance and narrating in this classic Mob film.
R.I.P Ray Liotta.
A fine, fine actor, much underrated. Great as the performances of De Niro, Pesci, Sorvino, and Lorraine Bracco are, it's Liotta's performance and narrative which hold this great film together.
@@TerryDowne
What..."Ray Liotta _underrated"?_ The guy was hugely respected by both the critics and fans alike. He was cast in both blockbusters and regular television shows and miniseries... and even video games?
Hill and Jimmy are absolutely iconic performances to this day. Great actors.
@@dusk6159
And Tommy.
Joe Pesci was amazing in that role.
@@capitanfuturo594 Oh that's a given for everyone, that's why I didn't mention it.
That moment when you watch one scene from Goodfellas on youtube, then take a look at the "Suggestions" section on the right, and end up practically watching the whole film, Haha.
Jak1415 that's me to a T
Jak1415 did that today at work now im home and not sure if i should watch this or casino
lol... this is one of the greatest movies ever
That's because practically every scene is a classic
I wish the whole movie was on here
your murderers come with smiles...chilling line
Robert Bermudez And to top it all of, he finished it with saying "they always seem to come at a time when you're at your weakest or in dear need of their help"
Omerta3000 yes true...diabolical
Omerta3000 Your friends abandoning you when you are at a low point is not exclusive to the mob
Not really, politicians do it all the time.
Anyone who's been close with a narcissist will feel that line.
The fact that Henry changes his mind and orders food at the very end is telling. Before he knew what Jimmy was going to do, he was nervous, and had no appetite. Once he knew for sure Jimmy's intention, he could relax, and know what his choice had to be. So he decided to eat.
This movie is just so fucking perfect, god bless martin scorsese
He is not relax, he wants to show he is relax not showing he is now a target !!
In real life Henry said in a documentary that Jimmy Burke ordered honeydew to eat, and that made him super nervous. Apparently Jimmy liked to eat really heavy breakfasts with ketchup and almost never ate fruit; it was out of character for him and made Henry suspicious. Plus Jimmy kept taking his glasses off at the meeting, so Henry knew Jimmy was planning something.
@@billymarino4452 reading that made me hungry, I also like to eat heavy breakfasts with ketchup. A heavy breakfast will get you through a busy day, especially if you are planning a heist or have to run a crew like James Burke.
I think it was to enjoy one last meal with a childhood friend. He knew this would be the last time they saw each other or spoke as friends.
Henry really had no choice but to turn informer/witness. He knew Jimmy was going to kill him. Paulie had already turned his back on him. Henry had no protection.
True but its his fault that it came to that point.
I know he's worried he's gonna get whacked for turning informer and then the first thing he does is turn informer.
I still wouldn't rat on my friends...... thats the society we live in. I was Henry I would have just left, disappeared and been done with it. Then on the other hand they all turned their backs on him.....maybe I would have went to florida and killed the other guy....and again just left vanished in the wind. Got to cuba lol!!!
Well yeah....that's the other guy....you idiot!
Good point. Cosa Nostra says that if you have an affair with someone's wife or girlfriend then you could die. But this is only true when an underling has an affair with someone who is higher up the chain. Henry wasn't a made guy so what is he supposed to do if Vario is screwing his wife? He can't kill him or even go to someone and say, "kill this man for breaking the rules". They wouldn't care how Henry felt because he isn't a made guy.
I love how near the end of the video he realizes Jimmy is planning to kill him and when the server comes to the table he calmly orders something. He knew this would be the last time he would ever see Jimmy but had to play the whole thing off like he was ignorant to the situation.
truthseeker 15 Well, technically whacking the informer would indeed drastically increase his chances of being convicted...
truthseeker 15 That's a horrifying situation/feeling
Nah it wasn't the last time, the last time was in court when he pointed him out that rat bastard!!
Yeah so true it’s easy to think these people you call brothers can trust you but at the end of the day you’re just tracks they cover to hide themselves from getting caught which in most cases they get caught even when they kill a good friend that never ratted
True... it had to be mixed feelings for Henry knowing yes this is the last time I'm going to see him because he's going to try to kill me but then again this was like my brother for 15 years and basically saying goodbye now Jimmy I don't know if he had any mixed feelings he maybe wouldn't even have whacked him if Henry didn't get into the drug business because Henry was the last one out of the Lufthansa robbery that wasn't murdered
‘Your murderers come with smiles’
- The devil doesnt come as the devil, he comes as everything you ever wished for
He'll be nice and helpful. He'll get a job where he influences a great God-fearing nation. He'll never do an evil thing! He'll never deliberately hurt a living thing... he will just bit by little bit lower our standards where they are important. Just a tiny little bit. Just coax along flash over substance. Just a tiny little bit.
I always knew my wife was the devil.
@@darklurker1239 lol
Sure, like Dementia Joe Biden or Kabooby Harris.
Because the devil was once an angel 👼🏼->😈
The older I get the more I realise what a disgusting life organised crime is.
It's a horrible life only glamorized in moves and on television. I love The Godfather, Goodfellas and The Sopranos but people never take lessons in what happens to even the main characters in those movies. Michael ends up dying alone after watching his daughter get murdered in front of him, Jimmy and Paulie both end up dying in prison and regardless of the debate about Tony Soprano he still either is dead or going to prison.
Well i dont know about you , but as far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster
Regular life can be just as disgusting. All "friends" will betray you under the right circumstances.
@@jimpimmers5387 sometimes you end end up great like the Yakuza in Japan
Jairo Pavon Wtf are you on about? That has literally nothing to do with what they’re discussing.
"It wasnt like in the movies, the murders come with smiles. They come as friends."
Truest quote in cinema.
"There were no arguments, no cursing".....tell that to Billy Batts
@@wokejoke2675 we can't he's a made guy.
Yet later in the movie when he's arrested by the police (who are aggressive and point a gun at him instead of being friendly and smiling) he says that he thought he was gonna get killed, until he realized they were cops.
Like coworkers and cousins I have had.
en mi país se dice "la confianza da asco"
What a brilliant detail it is to have the ambient sounds of the diner continue to play during the freeze frames. It adds so much to the chilly atmosphere of Henry’s realization.
Man, the comments on these movie clips are great. I never noticed this - good ear!
It's called cafeteria ambient 😂
As well as conveying that life goes on around you no matter what momentous thing is happening to you at the time.
Occasionally interrogators use it on prisoners. A Czech prisoner of the Nazis, later executed, described being taken out of the jail for drives by his Gestapo interrogator, who would show him people in Prague just living their lives, and then tell him that he is in jail with a death sentence in prospect but it's all the same to these people.
"Goodfellas" is the perfect movie. Like so many of Scorsese's films about the Mafia they are HUMAN and there is none of this romanticised Hollywood dogshit.
No audience friendly plots or your favourite character getting out of death.
Just the cold hard nasty truth of the Mafia. The Mafia was one BIG LIE.
All the talk of loyalty, family and rules while in truth? It made no difference how powerful you were or how deep your connection to someone was.
If you are a threat? You were a target.
And this scene proves it perfectly. After ALL the years of Jimmy treating him like a Son? There he is setting him up to be killed.
That's real life. That's the evil of people. Says in a few seconds what several scenes couldn't.
@@davidaston5773 Mainly because it's a TRUE story of events. While the Godfather is a PHENOMENAL and iconic film, someone said it best, The Godfather is how the mafia wanted to be seen. Goodfellas is how they actually were. Just a bunch of evil backstabbing scumbags who would rat or kill each other if it means saving themselves, nothing more to them than that.
Henry Hill was smart to order that muffin. If he wasn't hungry and ordered nothing...Jimmy would have known Henry was onto him.
You mean Henry.
Jimmy needed to see Henry was relaxed & would go along with the hit. If Henry started to act nervous or refused the hit, Jimmy would think he was going to bail on him and he would order Anthony to whack him tonight. Who knows maybe Anthony was sitting somewhere in the parking lot with binoculars and was waiting on Jimmy to give him a signal by the window ("if you dont see me take off my glasses, you know what to do") to have Henry whacked as soon as he would leave the restaurant, maybe that's why Jimmy was so jumpy.
thanks. Its my own far fetched theory lol as Jimmy looks twice at the window after he put on the glasses and than after he takes them off. Even if you believe it was a bit far fetched at the very least you have to question the reason Jimmy put on the glasses when he never intended to use it reading on the document he handed Henry ( which was my initial thought as to why he suddenly put on the glasses). However he may also had farsighted vision & he wanted to carefuly study Henry's own poker face to see whether he can read Henry's thoughts and intuitions.
@Darkzz Lord it is an option if the two guys are the same rank. Both Jimmy and Henry were not made guys so technically speaking they were both on equal footing. If a captain tells a soldier/s in his crew they got to whack someone, they can't refuse. If the boss tells a captain they have to whack someone than they have the option to either whack the person themselves or send their soldiers to do it but it's got to be done.
@Darkzz Lord Jimmy still asked him "Do you have a problem taking care of it?!" Which means if there was a good excuse like "I think the "cops are tailing me" or something big than maybe he could have refused. Technically speaking in this incident however Henry couldn't refuse due to the fact Jimmy set a trap and wanted to have Henry whacked in a couple of days, but it could have hastened the process if he did refuse.
I like this scene because it shows something that can't be taught: gotta have a six sense when you playing by street rules
You have to see dead people.
Question is, was his life really in danger or was Henry being paranoid?...It's possible Jimmy wanted to see if he would go through with the hit to see if he could be trusted
The real-life Jimmy Burke (on whom the character "Jimmy Conway" was based on) was absolute, unwavering psycho who didn't pay two seconds of thought before killing anybody, even his closest friends. But even if that wasn't the case, Mob rules are incredibly simple on that: if they feel you're a liability - if you're losing them money, causing them trouble, or is in danger of becoming a rat - you're dead, simple as that. The Mafia doesn't give second chances.
That’s right. It’s all - and only - business. Rules of the game. Henry was a major liability so of course they wanted him dead.
It’s essentially street smarts in a broad term/sense vs book smart or what not. You can make money being book smart but being street smart could save your life, because in a split second of a decision you could end up dead, robbed, raped or just in a “bad spot.”
Common sense almost but you learn more on the street smart part by being connected or growing around it. It always however starts with common sense though. Something that seems to be going extinct just like sarcasm... smh
"They always seem to come when you're at your weakest and in most need of their help." Great quote.
The scariest thing about mafia is that they can kill their best friend within a lively chat without feeling anything
Yet they live...
Not to defend the mob, but it's no little fuck up.
You have a point. The Mob usually sends your "friends" to kill you
Most of them have a conscience and at times they didn't want to murder their friend, but they were given an order and to refuse would mean death for him, plus his friend will still get whacked by somebody else. Ugly side of the life.
Thats how Mafia Works
Jimmy's psychology here: delighted to see Henry because he actually showed up. Henry is standoffish as he suspects the guy literally just tried to have his wife killed. Jimmy is reassuring, indicates he's read the entire case notes and is confident Henry will get off. Henry of course knows this is bullshit. Jimmy puts his glasses on to feign he's going to go over them with him but immediately brings up some inconsequential kid who needs whacked. He literally thinks making up a fictional scenario identical to Henry's where he will use Henry to resolve it will put Henry's mind at ease and convince him their relationship is business as usual even though he's asking Henry to do something he never has before in decades of friendship. You can almost see Henry smirk at Jimmy trying to sell him it. Like "Really Jimmy? Really?"
Henry is smart. He doesn't miss a beat when confirming he will kill the kid so as to reassure Jimmy he's in.
That look on Henry's face when he realises Jimmy's plan. It's relief. There's no uncertainty anymore. He knows now that he he has to rat as there is now no alternative. All doubts erased. All the pressure lifted. Clarity. So much so he almost immediately gets his appetite back. He can now enjoy one last meal and conversation with his oldest friend. Free of any guilt as to what he's about to do to him as otherwise that same guy would kill him.
Jimmy really did screw up. Bungled the setup to murder Karen and hatched a moronic plan to get Henry that the target saw coming a mile off. I doubt Henry was ever going to keep his mouth shut. But Jimmy sure as hell helped make up his mind he wasn't.
Hilarity Ensues this deserves more likes
This comment is beautiful
Wonderful analysis!
Hilarity Ensues nice summary and spot on 👍
What did Henry mean when he said English muffin?
The thing that separated Henry from the other guys that got killed: he knew he was in a band of sociopathic thieves and that there is no honor among thieves. The other guys like Morrie thought he was in a “family” or a “brotherhood” and so thought that he wouldn’t be killed. He got into the car thinking he was gonna have a jolly ole time with his bros.
At the same time, what killed Tommy was him thinking that living the life in La Cosa Nostra was an anarchic, free for all. It never registered to him that honor was valued in La Cosa Nostra. That’s what got him killed.
Such a fascinating flick.
It’s funny you writing honor two times and it’s can be misunderstood in some regard if you don’t get you mean there are two kinds of honor which both men don’t get.. the first as you said thought there was honor between them like a family or the best friends but don’t understand that not the case.. Tommy thought anything was legal and he shouldn’t be judged by anyone which was got him shot because there honor is in .. in judgment of your character and it’s only thing there are honor in mafia because if they can trust you and you do what is told then they can use you and that all there matters in the end.. or something like that
El El, best comment.
You contradicted yourself by then giving the label of honor to the scum band of thieves (the italian mafia) related to Henry's one.
Tommy got whacked because him and Jimmy killed Billy Bats who was a made man with the Gambinos meaning he was untouchable while Tommy and Jimmy weren't made and once they found out they set up the hit and supposedly John Gotti was the one who killed him
There honor in the mafia? Consider me surprise.
The monotone, slightly drugged out, exhausted Brooklyn accent that Liotta used is perfection. Narration was everything in this film. RIP Ray. 😇
The fact every scene in this film has 1+million views says a lot about it. Probably the most consistently excellent film ever made, and certainly the most rewatchable.
I've never been able to decide whether Goodfellas or Casino is the superior film, as both are absolute masterpieces.
@@drlight6677 I agree. I notice with Casino it has gotten better with every rewatch.
On that note, I think it might be more 'rewatchable' as it almost plays like a music video, with the glitz, glamour and soundtrack all being a feast for the sense. Goodfellas on the other hand is more narratively complex and darker in tone. I can't think of a film that's more rewatchable -- would enjoy suggestions for this actually!
As you say though, both total masterpieces.
@@drlight6677I agree , I literally love both so much , they are both masterpieces, I'm glad I do not have to choose , I choose both .
@@drlight6677Goodfellas is easily better than Casino, if only because Goodfellas came first and Scorsese was doing Goodfellas over again with Casino.
I always loved the irony that Henry wasn't going to rat on anyone, but when it looked like he and Karen might be killed for something he didn't or wasn't going to do, THAT'S what drove him to be an informant.
Henry would’ve ratted. Watch some interviews w the real Henry-he was a piece of shit. He said a bunch of times leaving the life is what bothered him, not ratting anybody out
@@JoeSmith-dl9ok Well I don't think anyone would have been bothered about ratting out people that are trying to get you killed
He had a long prison sentence ahead of him, no money, and had burnt pretty much every bridge with Paulie. That kind of desperation will force people to do things.
@@matthewriley7826 Maybe. But if he was gonna rat anyway, why did the Feds bother tipping their hand playing the tapes for him?
Obviously they thought he needed a nudge, or maybe he would only rat on other guys besides Burke.
Not saying you're wrong, but it's not so simple as a bunch of YT experts claim.
he ratted because he got caught dealing drugs
“I think you’ve got a good chance of beating the case “
- Conway LLC Attorneys at law
Better Call Conway
They always say guys who have been to jail are better lawyers than anyone who passed the bar exam
Siiixers what are you stupid or what? Lol
mg19cal says fucking who?
The hell is he basing that on? They found all his partners and his drugs.
Liotta was robbed of a Oscar for this role! He SO deserved-it. Great performance. 👏👏👏
it's one of those things where an even more epic movie is in the same awards bracket, so good performances get forgotten
Ya know I think it wouldve been pretty cool if ray liotta wouldve had a role in the Irishman
I agree. Absolutely.
Sure, there is no doubt that Ray Liotta was deserving, but even more robbed was the film and Martin Scorsese. This film should have been best picture.
The Oscars are nonsense. He will be remembered forever for this role and it has been enjoyed by people across the world ever since. That's more important than a prize.
RIP Ray Liotta, such a great actor.
Agree
Ray Liotta was the great underrated actor.
3 years later De niro tried to make his own version of a mob movie with some kid narrating and cheesy storyline
about a kid?????
it's all about a kid
i hated it
He Always Remind Me of Tony Curtis, May They R.I.P.
@@christophercolumbus8944Bronx Tale?
@@wheeljack210 ye
What an amazing scene. This movie is a cinematic masterpiece.
Jack Maverick I know!!!! Wonderful acting
How? Idk nothing about movies all I know is that this entire movie is the shit.
@@PatchesVillano Are you sure you know nothing about movies, because your taste in movies is pretty good. Maybe it's an instinct.
@@24News-t5i Wow I really need to stop commenting while drunk. 😅
If Tommy was still alive he would've been the one to whack Henry. "Come on, make dat coffee to go, let's go.".
That’s why tommy is shooting at the screen at the end of the film. The epitome of a gangster is killing a washed up Henry for ratting. Henry knows tommy would kill him, so it’s a symbolic statement.
@@Robbstark2024 nah its just a homage to the great train robbery
L1am21 that too
VeryTallOne I think Tommy and Jimmy hung Carbone with the meat, now that I think about it lol
lol
His ordering of the English muffin Is a superb line. Whether scripted or added on the spot. It shows he’s relaxed now knowing full well what Jimmy has planned for him and what he has to do. He can relax, breathe, and have something to eat. It’s like the murder suspect who sleeps soundly despite having been arrested for murder. There’s no longer any pressure or stress of being caught so why not relax and sleep soundly.
Or he was Hungary.
It is an interesting filming technique that is used more often than you notice. The actual camera is moving backwards slowly on a track, while simultaneously zooming in on the actors. To the viewer, the subjects do not move, while the scene around them closes it. It creates a disconcerting atmosphere of tension, which closely reflects Henry's feelings in the scene. Great stuff.
You are a smart man.
Crap. Now I have to watch it again lol 0:29
That's the Vertigo shot.
Camera never once zooms in on either actor.. neither one
@@mitchelll3879 seems the outside background is zoomed in
18 people should go down to Florida and do a hit with Anthony
20
+Mike Calak 21
22
+steaksauce androb i clicked dislike just to see Florida
+KillahKyle Not yet, pal.
R.I.P Ray, no one could do this role better, you owned it Sir! 😞
In a documentary I seen once with the real Henry Hill Henry said the movie had a much more toned down version of Jimmy Conway. Henry said the real Jimmy Conway was much much more ruthless. He was the type that would take you to dinner tell you how much of a great guy you were than stabb you in the back..
Yeah real name Jimmy 'the gent" Burke was his real name and yeah he was even more psychotic than the film
Dark Demonik it was more about ratings for the movie. If you go too crazy you get an X rating. An X rated movie isn’t going to make any money. So they had to dull shit down to get audiences in the theatre.
rob sim his original name was Conway he changed it to Burke to honor his adoptive parents
Same with Paul Vario, he smashed someone's head in with a baseball bat. Paulie moved slow but could put a real hurt on you if he wanted to
Thats exactly what Jimmy was doing here
Here is the really incredible thing: Ray Liotta was snubbed by the so-called Academy for Best Actor. He wasn't even nominated.
BettinaBalser I could see a nomination, but he's by far the weakest actor in the movie and it's not even close.
BettinaBalser Goodfellas as a whole got snubbed across the board, six nominations and only one winner. It was the year of Dances With Wolves and everyone bought into the hype since it was released after Goodfellas.
Tommy Versetti
+Mark Merzweiler And Taxi Driver endures over the years more than Rocky.
+Boondock Saint It endures in my book over Rocky so I thought that was the norm.
Rest easy Ray. You were a treasure.
He'll get back to you with a reply for your validation, I'm sure.
@@gavinvalentino1313 you really thought you did something lol
@@gavinvalentino1313you’re definitely miserable to be around
In this scene, Scorsese keeps Henry neutral, his pose static, and conveys a moment of the deepest existential terror
It's subtle things like that, that make a movie awesome and one you can watch over and over again for those nuances.
In otherwords, Henry scared but he be cool wit it, it is what it is.
blickeroni the correct ghetto term is "scurrrrreddd…"
derpderpderp
He's like "Damn, all my friends want me dead."
This has to be one of the greatest scenes of all time. Ray Liotta is double acting. He's acting as Henry Hill acting like an unaware fool so that Jimmy doesn't suspect that he knows he's trying to kill him
Johnny Depp basically double acting the whole Donnie Brasco movie.
RIP Ray Liotta, what a master act
This "double acting" is usually a sign of a good movie.
Yea that's called acting fucko.
Farewell to my favorite Goodfella, Ray Liotta. One of the few actors I’d watch in almost ANYTHING. Truly sad day.
Brilliant. He figured out he was gonna get whacked.
Henry didn't want to eat breakfast, he was shocked that his friend Jimmy wanted him killed.
I love this diner! The people that work here R so kind :)
Live only a couple blocks away from a piece of film history
That's so cool. I would actually luv to go there
yeah they are great people Mike And Tooley been going there for years driving a truck Maurice Ave. Mr TJ Budweiser Beer No Glass. Gotta love the Clinton Diner
@Pedro Sepulveda pick up some danish for belle
It's also the diner where Vito met Johnny Cakes in The Sopranos
The diner is finally gone but if anyone is interested, the real life diner where they all went, still exists.
The Sherwood.
That reverse tracking shot is so cool, such a masterpiece of a film.
That slight dolly zoom perfectly creates an unsettling feeling in the viewer.
I searched for this video to find this comment. "Dolly Zoom" - thank you!
@@ViperdriveMusic hahaha glad 20 year old me trying to sound knowledgeable about film in a youtube comment section could be of use to you.
Watched this film about 20 times and never noticed it until this clip
@@holygoalie3
I also wondered so thanks
Ray Laoitta’s eyes in this scene are incredible. Should have gotten an academy award for this scene alone. Almost all the acting was done with their eyes in this scene. Jimmy sniffing Henry out, more for verification but he’s already decided Henry had to go. Henry’s pocker face look knowing Jimmy plans on killing him but he can’t give anything away. Jimmy the psychopath shifting gears and preparing to have Henry killed, because it’s just business at the end of the day, even though they have been close friends and associates for years and years.
Jimmy wears his reading glasses when he doesn't even look at print. Symbolism of him trying to read Henry's face, peering into his soul with those glasses.
I can’t believe ray liotta was nominated only a time at the golden globes. And not for this masterpiece. He has a brilliant career with so many excellent performances
Those glasses make him look even more calculating than he already is...there has to be some symbolism behind those glasses.
Kevin Muller Great observation and I agree. He put the glasses on as he switched his demeanor, and asked Henry to go down to Florida. Perhaps the glasses mean "I am serious now." I.E he wants to look like he's "in business."
+pup lover Henry mentioned in the book that Jimmy started wearing glasses around this time and that he kept fidgeting with them during this meeting. There could be symbolism, but it's also keeping with DeNiro's obsession with getting all the little details right.
Hes a paranoid guy even the microbes are ratting on him. Whack em he said.
+Lavern Jimmy Burke suffered from Diabetes and it affected his vision. Whether there was any symbolism for the glasses or not is unsure. But he wore those spectacles at that juncture due to poor eyesight as he got older.
The film is accurate to the book in almost every detail including the glasses. A ton of the voice over is lifted wholesale from the transcripts of the actual interviews used in the book.
Lol Jimmy knows damn well that he has zero chance of beating the case
sdwhitesox lmao the expression he has on his face when telling Henry he has a good chance of beating the case
He can beat it, all he has to do is be the biggest rat there has ever been. Oh wait...
Bit of a silly move to be telling the guy who knows he won’t beat shit that he ain’t gotta worry about nuttin. Can understand how them bells started ringing in Henry’s mind
Every single freeze frame in Goodfellas is perfection.
Ray made this movie. Excellent narration and acting.
RIP Ray. We all love you❤😢😢😢
DeNiro's look at 1:48 scares me shitless, that's the look of Grim Reaper, pure evil personified. He's so fucking amazing in playing all those subtle elements in his acting.
You can almost see Henry almost smiling once he figured out Jimmy true intentions.
Henry outlived them all. Crowed about it too. I heard him in an interview.
When this came out, I was a teenager, and I thought all the characters were old then, but now that I see this, they actually look super young!
Deniro’s face at 1:50 perfectly encapsulates what he’s trying to convey; someone trying to keep a straight face when they’re setting a trap.
And liottas face perfectly encapsulates a terrified man trying his hardest to look cool but kinda failing. Both men outted each other
"You know what?" "I think I'll have an english muffin."
+Frankie Gino the timing of this line was so smart that was beautiful.....
can you explain to me why is this so smart? i really don't know, would like to know
+Antonio Wakardo is representation of his inner thoughts, he realized that in Florida he will be whacked, so instead to be silent he changed his mind and go for the witness protection program. It is smart because the scene is about a guys in a restaurant but the subtle show that is really about stay with the guys or not. Is all about timing and context.
calito44 aaa ok thank you for the explanation. I thought that "english muffin" was a reference to something like didn't want to do something, but I realized now that I will do it afterall. :)
This movie is amazing, never watched it before, and I'm 30 years old, watched 1 month ago.
You can also read it as if he is trying to put Jimmy at ease. Trying to assure Jimmy that he is fine with the situation. That he is not so high strung and has a new found appetite. But I agree your meaning as well.
In any case, I agree its a great line. Its actually one of the more memorable lines in the movie for me. Something about it that is just the perfect thing to say.
That look in Henry's eyes after looking at Jimmy's eyes,he was thinking like, oh okay. You're on that gangster.
RIP Ray Liotta.
You were a magnificently talented actor and you will be missed by so many.
Here’s to you man. X
Jimmy's biggest mistake of his" career": never try to murder one of your inner circle comrades because he'll see you a mile away.
Yeah he played things really dumb here
Unless jimmy is just giving Henry a warning about what happens to rats invade Henry ratted.
I never understood why Jimmy didn't just lure Henry/Karen into a car and Morrie them. Too elaborate, with the trip to Florida and the picking out dresses etc.
@@thomasbrennan6303 Jimmy was moving erratic so he wasn’t thinking straight. Plus Henry would’ve never fell for that
@@prod.schemeteam203 I just figured Jimmy must have known Henry was terrified of him, given that he was whacking people left and right, and would be suspicious if he were asked to 'go on a trip' somewhere. Henry was a drug dealer and addict, lots of material to work with there. Easily could have taken him and Karen out in a "home invasion" and rifle through the home like someone was looking for drugs or cash. This was pre-DNA.
After realizing that a friend of yours of damn-near 30 yrs is plotting your death: "Um, yeah I'll have an English muffin."
Henry was thinking, Jimmy doesn't want to be my friend anymore, instead he wants me dead.
'Your murderers come with smiles'. Everything you need to know in life, you learn in 1st grade. Or in Goodfellas.
"There werent any arguments like in the Movies"
Such as " NOW GO HOME AND GET YE FUCKIN SHINEBOX !"!!!!! "
+Ollie Phelan But nothing happened immediately thereafter. It was only after Batts had calmed down, was treated to a few drinks, was Yes'd to death by Jimmy Conway, that his demise was evident. Exactly how Liotta narrated it in this scene. "They comes with smiles..."
richieblondet
c'mon .
Are ye suggesting that the Tommy and Batts scene wasnt an argument ?.
It was far more than an argument .
Tommy made no attempt to hide his intent.
Tommy wasnt smiling .
Or maybe Jimmy demanding his money from Mori , while strangling him with a phone-wire ?
-------------------
Theres a similar contradiction in CASINO.
Nicky ; "He wasnt Italian .He might ve talked , otherwise Stoney might still be alive"
But yet everyone who talks and informs , and cant be trusted are their fellow Italians
?
[ only Movies of course.. but theres millions spent , and thousands of people involved in its production (hundreds directly) that really should notice inconsistencies or bloopers ]
+Ollie Phelan I'm not suggesting that at all. "Henry Hill" (Ray liotta) expressed something specific in this scene here above. That when a hit goes down, it's not some half crazed lunatic show that's put on in most cases. They are cold and calculated. They come with smiles and as your friends. Whether this is really true or not, isn't the point. It's what he claim in the film. You seemed to have wanted to point out a contradiction and quoted Billy Batts during a scene. The context in which Batts was murdered comes AFTER he antagonized and humiliated Tommy. Tommy exploded... but there was no retaliation. There was no exchange of words other than Tommy telling Henry to "Keep him here."
In the meantime, the scene after the argument pans to a shot of Jimmy Burke shooting the breeze with Batts at the bar. Batts is seemingly calm and collected, and feels he is in no danger. For starters, his "made" status gives him this sense of protection. And the fact that he's got an old school gangster sitting beside him, who knows the life, knows all about the ways of the life and is probably assuming that if anyone were crazy enough to retaliate against him (Batts), that Burke would be the first one to step up and squash that idea. Instead, Batts is lulled into dropping his guard with a few beers and is allowed to express his sob story. All the while Burke's intention to to stall him and keep him at the bar until Tommy took his date home, probably make his way to other public places where he could be seen for the sake of an alibi, and make his way to Henry's bar.
Everything "Henry" narrated in this scene is what came to pass in the murder of Batts. The contradiction to what "Henry" explained would have been Tommy gunning down Batts right then and there as soon as Batts insulted him.
So it's not an inconsistency or even a blooper. It's keeping in line with what "Henry" or the script conveyed.
richieblondet
Ok ,
I agree with everything there , but ......
If it had went down the way Tommy wanted it , there would have been no calculated cold murder .
Tommy didnt come in smiling and put a silencer to his neck .
They grabbed him in a headlock and kicked the shit out of him .
None of the Batts scene was cold or calculated .
---------------------------
If Henry was speaking in generalities thats ok . But the fact is that what he said was 99% true .
Lets not romanticise the Mafia ;
They werent an Army of professionals .
They werent even the I R A .
They were street criminals (thugs) who lived (as much as they could) by a loose code .
I believe Casino gets rid of the "romanticisation" that Goodfellas has
+Ollie Phelan No one is romanticizing the Mafia, least of all me. This is a MOVIE. I'm not arguing how things truly take place on the ground. My focus is what the movie/film entails and what it conveys.
The murder of Batts was COLD for the obvious reason that Batts was killed. All such violent actions that isn't sanctioned by law or self-defense is cold blooded. It was certainly CALCULATED because Tommy himself orders henry to "KEEP HIM HERE." He planned to take retribution against Batts. The manner they did so was to lull Batts into a drunken stupor, get him talking, let him air out his grievances, concerns, etc. all the while knowing that evening at the bar was intended to be his last.
Again, I'm only talking about the film. Nothing else beyond that. I agree that while that scene is a testament to a certain reality, the other side of the coin is that there's a lot more brazen non-sensical violence, which the film also captured or included into the script. Tommy gunning down Spider for instance. When a simple smack would have sufficed in retaining Tommy's warped sense of honor.
Henry was smarter than he appeared
The later henry when interviewed came off as a total stroke victim from all the drug and alcohol abuse
It’s a survival mechanism I used it all the time, I make fun of myself, unsure of myself and people will show their true colors and what they think real quick, I listen to their to their tone of voice and the look in their eyes and how they talk to you wile they judge you disguised as “jokes” this is how i pick friends that I didn’t grow up with Or I invite them over my place to eat and drink especially and have your lady dress up just sexy enough to catch a eye and watch them from afar, then you’ll see who your friends are.
@rain Alaska His system checks out to me. Anyone can lie. Anyone can put on an act.
@rain Alaska Good idea. I will go to the loyal girl tree and pick one fresh off the branch. Thank you.
I don't know, and this isn't a slam...just that after seeing Jimmy whack so many guys...how could you not believe you were next.
Ray was a goodfella, rest in peace.
Now youse can't leave
Henry is almost relieved. You get the feeling that there’s a weight lifted of his shoulders because he’s knows that despite having friends when living this life the first thing is always business and he knew that from early so he has no resentment to jimmy and therefore has no guilt for ratting
RIP Ray you’ll be deeply missed 🙏
I wish they did more with the kid from the city, you know who I'm talkin about? He was my favorite character in the movie.
I agree ....they never did anything with Anthony ....Marty never developed him in the rest of the movie . Lol....I had to scroll down after watching the scene because I knew your Italian ass was down here with the best line !
I know. But they never did. That way we got nuttin. I could tell you what happened, but you would never come back from the comments section alive.
Dere was nutting we could do about it!
I guess the kid couldn't get the papers get the papers
JohnLoCicero shut up. Im tired of seeing your stupid ass comments saying the same dam thing. You are not funny, go home
I love how it shows henry is slowly changing over the course of the movie..for example his hair is normally slicked and parted nicely fresh cut look and his face is baby shaved and looks very well dress tie and everything...but now his hair is a bit messy u can see where his beard grows and his eyes have faraway tired glassy look from drugs and lack of sleep along with the bags under them..he wears like a dress shirt and SME slacks but the shirt is undone so on and so forth..Scorsese bless ur Italian heart
Well he's also heavily into cocaine at this point.
@@WhoopityDoo exactly 🤘
@@WhoopityDoo and probably a bit paranoid as well
For 30 seconds, from 0:25, DeNiro and Liotta and the booth stay in the same place, but the world outside the window keeps zooming in, creating the feeling that the world is closing in on them, getting smaller, about to crush them.
Pretty cool, I never noticed that before.
The effect even magnifies when Jimmy put on the glasses, right after the camera angle moves.
Then it pans out and away from them when Henry realizes his choice has been made for him. There's no doubting or guessing anymore.
So many emotions run through Henry’s eyes when he realises what’s happening. Fear, betrayal, sadness, disappointment, shock the list goes on, and he knows if he wants to survive this encounter, he can’t let ANY of them show, he has to act like he’s none the wiser even though he’s probably panicking inside
I agree but Henry’s face during the freeze frame is a dead giveaway. I understand it was prob a cue for the audience to get that Henry suspected something was up. But in real life if Henry made that face, Jimmy would 100% notice it
"I've been telling you your whole life, don't talk on the phuckin' phone."
Rip ray liotta when i watch this scene this is why i will always be my favorite movie 😭
“But it’s gonna be ok. I think you got a good chance of beating the case.” And just like that Jimmy the gent is a godamm defense attorney.
"You know what, um.' I'll think I'll have an English muffin." A perfect meal to have and think on when you know you're about to get killed.
“…that’s when I knew I would have never come back from Florida alive.” 💯
RIP, Ray Liotta… amazing scene.
Your murderers come with smiles, they come as your friends- makes me wonder how wiseguys don't live every second in fear of getting whacked.
Scott Fowler I’m sure they do. I mean their constantly paranoid on whose gonna rat them out and who they can trust because in the end of the day. They’re all law breaking criminals and gangsters.
If they can’t obey the law, no real reason why they can trust each other in world where they have to do illegal things to survive.
Anybody can get got at any given time mob or no mob you just gotta live it up while your here
@James Robert Sometimes you could be on the wrong side of a takeover and youll get dealt. You could be used as an example, or you could meet someone like tommy who'll just do you just to do you. You can't win.
they do live in fear because there is no guarantee of loyalty in what is essentially a single-player game. Jimmy Burke (Conway in the movie) was always afraid someone would disappoint him and rat him out , in the end he really alienated himself from both the mob and anyone he had in his life because of his paranoia. Not being Italian/Sicilian meant he had no connections to the larger families and thus no protection from the old dons or the Commission. He was a hired goon at his best.
The same rule applies with school, corporations, your family, etc. You may not have to worry about being killed, but your "friends" may betray you or tarnish your image by sheer jealousy or sheer competition, or they simply don't like you.
The shot where the background outside looks like it’s zooming in is so crazy. They moved the physical camera back on a dolly while they zoomed in with the lens. It gives the whole scene the feeling that something is off, without their immediate surroundings changing. Scorsese is insane
yeah i didn't notice it first time i watched
Henry being a quiet, observant guy helped him.
It's one of the best ways to be.
exactly...you got it right
I see one scene of this and immediately reach for the blu ray. This film is so damn watchable.
Those who come 2 harm u are the 1s you thought loved u and this rings true just in normal life.
Best Voice Over in a Movie Ever (alongside Morgan Freeman in Shawshank)
Even though people thought Henry wasn't very bright when he was younger he is one of the very few who lead one of the most insane lifestyles in recent years and not only did he escape from it but actually lived a fairly decent life, absolutely incredible.
Sometimes you are born with great luck and six sense.
Being an outsider probably actually helped him, imo.
He wasn't viewed as much as a rival. He also says he was dyslexic, but in those days, who knew? That's why he dropped out of school, from that interview/documentary. He also said his Dad used to beat him for falling in school.
You don’t have to be well educated to have good instincts and experience. That’s what Henry had.
He did not live a fairly decent life. He was in an out of prison and his family hates him
@@mrkings2535 decent life by modern standards.
The dolly zoom shot here is brilliant,as Henry said"so we could see everyone who drove up to the restaurant",then the background start approaching to the camera
I always loved the part at the end where he says to the waitress "You know, um... I think I'll have an english muffin"
"Thats when i knew i would never come back from Dominican Republic alive."
R.I.P ray liotta
Such a great use of a slow dolly zoom when they're sitting in the booth. The whole movie is from the perspective of Henry and that camera effect mimics how he's feeling. Pulled in different directions and generally uneasy.
Just love those small details.
Brilliant acting. You can literally sense the tension between Jimmy and Henry...
1:21 - A very ahead of its time delivery of "Know what I'm sayin'?"
De Niro body language, hand gestures and subtlety is perfection - less is more.
That slight camera drop at 1:30 is pretty cool. I think it highlights Jimmy trying to set Henry up all the more so.
It’s to show the gun hand gesture Jimmy does
I’d like to thank Goodfellas for teaching me as a teen to know when to gtfo when things didn’t feel right
you know what i never realized? that all of Henry's years in the mob finally payed off, because he was able to realize that jimmy wanted him dead. It's like everything he learned came down to this one moment.
In Henry’s mind, there was no way of getting out of this alive without ratting. In Jimmy’s mind, he knew that as well, which means there’s no way out of this without having Henry wacked.
That’s why he wanted to send Henry to Florida with Anthony. Anthony Stabile was used to doing hits. They were supposed to be sent to wack Bobby Germaine's son, but it was a cover for Stabile to wack Henry.
Henry is such a good liar: "..No not at all."
Goodfellas is truly phenomenal. The attention to detail in the scenes is incredible, especially this one. I feel like watching this film all over again.
Just learned about his passing this morning . RIP Ray Liotta.
Oscars for Movies, Grammy's for Songs... Opinion, Politics, Face fits, Brown Envelopes, Shawshank Redemption no Award, Empire State of Mind with Alicia Keys Only,,, No Nomination... hey it is what it is... Goodfellas in my top 10 films of all time... epic
Great acting, these two. R. De Niro and R. Liotta, tremendous! I saw this movie long time ago, in the theaters, this one’s a classic.
What does "Henry" do after he realizes that "Jimmy" is planning to get him killed? He proceeds to order an English muffin. 😂😂😂
Cool under pressure.
That was full of deceitful, Henry is trying to show that is biting the set up.
Such an underrated actor. RIP Ray Liotta❣🙏🏽
Greatest Mob movie ever! Godfather a close second imo! Ray liota was absolutely fantastic in all his roles. Really appreciate his work, RIP! And thank you!
"I think we got a good shot at beating the case." - aka you're gettin' whacked so the case don't go ahead.